


Sugar Coated Accident

by wigglecat



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-25
Updated: 2011-11-27
Packaged: 2017-11-19 21:50:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/578022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wigglecat/pseuds/wigglecat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Toris left home for a city with a better job prospective to make his childhood dream become true - to become a writer-. But life’s harsh and he hasn't been successful yet.  He's living a poor life, passing out next to Feliks’ bakery one day...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Co-written with @alumac on lj.  
> This idea was based on a doodle ([here](http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm25/e-album/lj/172419779.png)) did on pchat one day. It's AU and both Feliks and Toris are normal humans.
> 
> *It was originally published on lj (old username - yusakocchi) and on [dA](http://ponyteil.deviantart.com/art/Sugar-Coated-Accident-1-183776065) but I deleted my lj so here we go~

"Gurrrr..."

Toris Lorinaitis suddenly felt his face turn red when he heard the embarrassing noise coming from his empty stomach. He quickly looked around to make sure there was no one in the vicinity before he let out a sigh. The emotions mixed in that sigh were complicated; It wasn’t merely a relief but also kind of worry. He noticed that it wasn’t early at all only when he looked at the time on his watch. He had been sitting alone in the park, writing on his notebook in the cold winter day since the morning.

Toris’ dream had always been to become a writer from the first time he was assigned to write his own story for his English homework when he was still a school child. He insisted to move out from home after high school graduation to find a writer job in order to make his dream came true no matter how hard his brothers tried to stop him. Reality, however, was never as smooth and easy as dreams. Toris was unable to get a decent part-time job with his qualification and he was now living an impoverished life. Yet he never looked back and regret his choice of leaving home.

"Gurrrr..."

His stomach rumbled again. But he stood up this time, taking his notebook and pen with him instead of looking around. He took out the money from his trousers pocket, pondering for a while before frowning and putting it back. Although he was as hungry as a wolf, he didn’t intend to spend any extra expenditure on things other than house rent. He then decided to take a walk in the town centre, which would hopefully help him forget about his hunger.

To be honest, he hadn’t eaten anything in the last two days. The smell of cooking coming from the kitchens of the restaurants in the centre made it even worse as it just made him realize that he needed food so badly. The world around him began to spin as he kept walking, trying to make his way out of this torture. His head happened to become heavier than before while he could feel that the strength in his limbs started to drain away at the same time. It was the first time for him experiencing this and he wondered if he would be able to sleep it off. Toris sped up, hoping to get home as soon as possible once this idea struck him but unfortunately, his vision suddenly became pitch-dark accompanied by a great pain exploding in his head soon afterwards. He wasn’t even aware of his body stumbling onto the alley’s ground.

When Feliks Łukasiewicz locked the door to his small (but totally cute) bakery at exactly 8 p.m., just like he did everyday mind you, he certainly didn’t expect today to be the day that would change his life. Like, forever.

The Day That Like Changed His Life Totally Forever was peaceful and lacking any feeling of something special hanging in the air. In fact, it was an average day in work. You might even say boring, but Feliks adored his job, adored his tiny bakery shop where he prepared pastries and bread and buns everyday for all the neighbors and local residents to enjoy.

The building was small, with only two floor and the top one was excellent for Feliks to make it his home. Which was, like super convenient cause getting up early and driving to work for like, an hour when he could be so totally sleeping, sucked so bad. He always hated getting up and he hated public transport only slightly less.

Feliks was far from being famous (yet) and he most certainly wasn’t rich, but he led a comfortable life, in his quiet flat and his small, cozy bakery. His life was far from being adventurous or exciting but Feliks always felt best at home, wrapped in a warm blanket, with the TV in front of him playing a chick flick and some good treats to eat in his hands. And during his working hours, he would bake and sell and watch people enjoy what he made and feel proud that once again, Polish baked goods proved to be superior to any other. He was prepared to spend the rest of his life like that, doing his calm routine.

Until, that is, The Fateful Day.

Feliks blinked, staring at the sprawled form of a person lying right here, in the alley between his bakery and another building. Most people probably thought he was drunk and didn’t help him at all... but, well... The man’s face looked sort of young and Feliks hesitated. Having someone die right next to his utterly fabulous bakery wouldn’t be cool. Even if it might make it more known, just... not in the way he planned.

He approached the unconscious person cautiously and first settled for poking it with his foot, clad in those cute shoes he found recently on sale. There was no response and Feliks frowned, crouching down, gaze settling on the raising and falling chest. Well... he was breathing. And from the steady beat of pulse on his neck he could feel as he reached out, that person was very much alive too.

Feliks faltered, unsure what to do. Maybe it was just a homeless drunkard after all. Maybe a junkie. Maybe a serial killer. But... homeless people smelled of piss and were all dirty, junkies looked sick and creepy and serial killers... didn’t have a... a nice face like that.

Feliks leaned closer, eyes squinting as he scrutinized the said nice face. It was quite good-looking; the lines smooth yet definitely manly, soft-looking brown locks framing it, thick eyelashes and smooth, clear skin...

W-well. He was doing a good deed here; God better be watching and like, totally prepare some reward for him! Feliks huffed inwardly as he managed to get the person up and support the limp body all the way to his home, dragging it up the stairs and inside before dumping on his bed. Uh, nice face is one thing but that person was definitely not nicely-light. Not that he was fat; the body looked juuust fine but come on, its common courtesy to be lighter when someone is like, dragging your unconscious behind into their homes.

The unknown boy still didn’t move, even as a blanket was draped over him and Feliks reminded himself where he kept his sharpest knives and the basic self-defense moves he picked up, just in case. And then he did what every self-respecting Pole would do, when there was a guest in his house. He went to cook some warm dinner.

Toris’ body warmed up a little after getting out of the cold. The soft bed was so comfortable that he didn’t want to get up but pulled the blanket up instead. The smell of cooking tickled his nose then he realized that there was something wrong... With a sharp inhalation, Toris opened his eyes and sat up abruptly, allowing a few seconds for himself to wake up before he scanned the area around him.

It was somewhere unfamiliar. Where was he? Why was he there? The frantic questions running through his mind were interrupted by a new voice interrupting the quiet of the room.

“Oh, so like, the sleeping beauty is up now?” Feliks grinned as he saw the unknown man sitting up on his bed. He was leaning on the door frame as he watched the other, proudly wearing his white apron with a cute pony drawing and frills. “Like, I was wondering if you’re gonna wake up soon cause I made food and it’s just warm and everyone knows heated up stuff just ain’t as good.” He explained, thinking about his kitchen knives just in case. If anything, he’d get to them first. “So like, not meaning to be totally rude or anything, but who are you?”

Toris looked towards the source of the short speech and he blushed as soon as he saw the other. The person in the apron was just simply pretty. All facial features were nicely crafted on the face; the wide green eyes were standing out against the pale skin and the silky golden hair suited her so well.  
He then realized that the bed he was sitting on probably belonged to the girl and he quickly jumped up and dusted the place where he sat on, apologizing. “I-I am sorry. My name is Toris....” He remained silence for a while as he tried to recall his memory but failed and his head hurt a bit for unknown reason. “I assume that this is your house? But hmmm...Why am I here?” he glanced towards the other a bit questioningly.

Feliks felt his eyebrows arch slightly surprised at the reaction. Well... that’s definitely not how serial killers behaved, right? None of the books or movies ever said anything about a serial killer dusting the bed they were on. And Toris definitely didn’t sound like a killer’s name. Toris the Ripper. Hmmm, no. And a killer couldn’t have such deep, green eyes, right? Those weren’t the eyes of a killer.

Then Feliks realized that when someone was talking to him, it’s usually good to answer. He flushed a bit since the person talking to him was a stranger and looked at the wall, as if it was the most fascinating thing ever. “Like yea, it’s my home...I’m Feliks, by the way. I uh, found you unconscious nearby and I thought it would be uncool if you just, you know, died or something. Since it’s near my bakery and all.”

He rambled, gaze stubbornly focused on the wall. “Anyway...I didn’t call the ambulance cause like, you didn’t look hurt or dead and I thought you might be an illegal immigrant or whatever and that’s why you might not want anyone to know so I brought you here.” He added, the words leaving him in a rush.

Toris almost facepalmed as he heard Feliks stating that he passed out earlier. He stood quietly, holding his breath and listened carefully while the other telling him everything. He could somehow sense that Feliks was feeling a bit uncomfortable in her speech and the fact that she wasn’t looking at him, rushing all the words from her mouth. So he assumed that the other was a relatively shy girl.

He gulped as soon as the other had finished, at a loss of words, trying to process all the information he was given slowly in his head before he opened his mouth and speak. “Thank you . It’s very nice of you bringing me here. I don’t know what would happen to me if you hadn’t done it.” He smiled as to show that he was really glad that he was being found and picked up by Feliks before he continued. “And don’t worry. I am not anyone suspicious. I just hadn’t eaten in the last two days or so...that’s why I passed out near your bakery. I am very sorry for causing all the inconvenience.”

He then pondered for a while, thinking that it was probably best for him to leave as soon as possible as he didn’t want to cause any more trouble to this nice girl. “I will make it up to you one day. But for now...I guess I’d better leave and not to disturb you.” He then made his way to the front door and turned back right before he opened it. “Thank you very much once again. Good night, Feliks....” He then frowned a bit before turning the door knob. “Um...I have one more question....If I didn’t mishear it, your name is Feliks, right? Isn’t it a boy’s name?”

“...Well, like duh, I’m a boy.” Feliks only looked up at Toris when the other seemed prepared to leave. Wait-what? He hadn’t eaten in two days and he was gonna leave like... like that? Well, not on Feliks’ guard.

“You like, totally cant leave if you hadn’t eaten in two days!” he insisted vehemently and grabbed Toris’ hand, dragging him back towards the bed and pushing him there firmly. And then he realized what he just did and blushed furiously.

“I-I mean. I don’t wanna have you pass out near my bakery again so like, you’re totally staying here! Besides, I just finished making warm dinner and I made extra just for you so if you walked out now that would be unforgivably rude!” he stated after a moment, hands on his hips and a pout on his face in a valiant effort to hide his shyness. “So like, you stay here and I’m gonna bring you dinner.” He added and hurried to the door, only turning around at the doorframe and pointing a finger at the other. “Don’t you like, dare move!” he added, hurrying to the kitchen to get the food on the tray and to Toris.

Toris didn’t even have time to recover from the shock after finding out Feliks was actually a boy since the other was already performing a series of actions. He sat still on the bed, blinking and looking in the direction where Feliks disappeared wide-eyes, unsure of what just happened. “T-thank you...” He said to the empty room, aware that probably no one had heard him.

And meanwhile, Feliks hummed to himself cheerfully as he settled the food on the plate, pausing only to lick the spoon clean after pouring the soup in the bowls. He had to get one for himself too so that Toris won’t feel awkward or something silly about being the only one eating. And he got hungry too, anyway. Finishing the arrangments on the tray with a plate of his pasteries and bread, he grinned proudly, taking the whole thing with a small huff and then going to the bedroom again.

Toris didn’t go against Feliks’ words and so didn’t move at all after he’d left. One of the reasons was that it wasn't nice wandering around in someone’s house, especially when you were not familiar with the owner. So he sat on the bed quietly, looking around curiously instead. Toris noticed that Feliks’ room was pretty colourful. There were different colours of pony plushies lying on the ground…as well as on the bed; the bed sheet had a white base with cute flower pattern; a collection of My Little Pony standing on the cupboard next to the closet and the wall was painted pink. Speaking of ponies, Feliks was also wearing a pony apron if Toris’ memory didn’t betray him. So he came up with a conclusion after his little observation that 1. Feliks loved ponies. 2. Feliks was cute and girly... 3. Feliks was generally a happy person cause of the choice of bright colours. His attention was quickly drawn back when there was rustling coming from the other side of the room and he turned back to the door when he heard footsteps approaching and the familiar voice speaking again.

“So like, I’ve got you tons of food and you better eat all of it. I’m totally not used to cooking for two so I just decided to make a lot and someone has to eat it and it better be you, cause like, I get lazy when I eat a lot.” He paused thoughtfully, placing the tray on the other’s lap, not letting him say anything yet and then sat down on his bed comfortably. “Well, lazier than usual, anyway. Cause you know, I’m totally hard-working and never really lazy, just lazier than usual.”

Feliks indeed prepared “tons of food” for Toris and he could only stare at the tray, not knowing of what to say while the other sat down next to him. It was the quantity for six but Toris was so hungry that he could probably finish everything plus it was impolite to leave food that people prepared for you. “Thank you.” He turned to Feliks smiling before he picked up the spoons, passing one to the other.

Feliks grinned, taking the spoon from Toris and picking up the bowl for himself. He should probably taste it himself first, right? So that Toris won’t totally think he’s some sort of a creep who like, gives people nice soups that are actually drugged and when they’re asleep, takes their kidneys or chains them to the heater in the toilet with an axe and they can only get out if they hack off their feet like in that movie he saw one time and didn’t sleep for the whole night. It would be so uncool if someone thought him to be such a freak. Especially since the guy in the movie was so ugly.

So Feliks took a spoonful of the soup and swallowed it with a ‘yummmm’ murmur echoing deep in his throat. “Eat up, eat up. It’s like so not the same when it’s cold.” he then told the other, licking his lips. Hah, once again, his cooking skills shone, and no wonder, coming from the proud Polish ancestors whose cuisine is so totally the best ever.

Toris watched Feliks carefully as he ate. It wasn't that he had doubts about Feliks; he was in fact rather touched by the other’s kind act. He then laughed slightly seeing Feliks’ face brightened up after swallowing the soup. Toris deemed from the reaction that it must taste very nice so he nodded at Feliks’ words and took a spoonful of soup into his mouth. Well, yes…there's a saying that one would even find the crappiest food in the world best when he’s hungry but Toris’ hunger didn’t make his sense of taste go wrong; he could still tell what was good and what wasn't. He hadn’t had anything as nice as this soup in ages or probably he had never! He just wanted to try some more of it so he spooned a few more spoons quickly, bringing the soup into his mouth instead of saying anything.

Feliks’ movements slowed down and he took his time with the meal, focusing most of his attention on the other man instead. He had to grin even wider at the sight; Toris obviously liked his cooking cause he was practically wolfing it down (and well, he was probably totally hungry now too, but that doesn’t change the fact that he liked it so there) and nothing could please Feliks more, as a baker. “Like whoa, don’t worry, the food won’t go anywhere; be sure not to choke, right? Cause I know the Heimlich maneuver and stuff but I’m not exactly keen to jam my thumb into your ribs or wherever. By the way, the guy who invented that was German and I’m totally not happy following anything a German person might say.” he declared with a small pout so that it didn’t seem like he cared that Toris would choke and die or something, no way. “And like, when you feel like it, you can start telling me why you chose to faint right next to my bakery.” he added.

Toris only remembered that he wasn’t at home when he was reminded to slow down. “I-I am sorry. But it tastes so good.” His cheeks faintly reddened and he smiled sheepishly at Feliks while clearly holding back his spoon. He finished the rest of his bowl slowly with manner, unlike earlier, before he wiped the corner of his mouth with the napkin that was placed on the tray and began to tell his story. “I was walking alone in town in the evening, thinking that I might be able to forget about my empty stomach if I got distracted by the shops there. It was wrong though cause the restaurant started to prepare supper for their customers and the smell of food coming from the kitchen just reminded me how hungry I was. So I changed my plan and wanted to go back home but I suddenly felt that I couldn’t use any energy then I guess….I collapsed...?”

Feliks made a thoughtful sound at the explanation, scooting back till he was sitting on the bed with his back to the wall and legs over Toris’ legs and snatched one of the small, sweet buns from the tray. He bit onto it, still obviously considering the other’s words. “But like... If you were so hungry why couldn’t you, you know, eat something?” he finally asked. “Cause like, you don’t really look like some poor drunks that sometimes hover around trashcans and all. And you smell better and like, you totally eat in a better way.” Actually, now that his hunger seemed at least partly sated, Toris proved to have better table manners than Feliks ever did. “So like, why were you going around hungry? Or like, you gave all your money to the poor?” Like Robin Hood. He even sort of looked like Robin Hood, with the semi-long dark brown hair but of course, Toris wasn’t wearing green tights, a funny hat and didn’t carry around a bow. If he did, Feliks wasn’t sure if he had helped him. He didn’t want to, you know, have all of his stuff given away to the poor.

Toris didn’t really mind the other’s legs resting there but….Feliks was surely pretty easy going, he thought since people don’t normally do that with someone you met for the first time. He frantically waved in the air, denying the good deeds Feliks assumed he had done. “N-no...! Cause I am kind of out of cash at the moment. The money I have with me is only enough for paying off the house rant this month…” Toris now remembered this situation and lowered his gaze to the ground when speaking of that. He tried to get a part-time job but his qualification wouldn’t allow him to get a decent one to support his daily needs; besides, he had to focus on writing and keep contributing his writing to publishers to try his luck.

“Ooooh.” Feliks made an understanding sound, nodding wisely. “So like... you can’t eat and stuff? That’s so totally lame and sucks, you know? Eating is fun.” He pointed out with a small pout, his tone slightly chiding as if Toris was doing something wrong here.  
He then allowed his gaze to travel over the other’s form, the thin arms and torso...  
He frowned. That totally didn’t seem cool. Or even right.  
And then his gaze went to his baked goodies and he brightened, struck by another flash of genius.  
“Like, I have a totally cool idea!” He exclaimed, eyes bright and expression cheerful as he looked straight at Toris.

“Y-yes?” Toris gulped nervously, looking at Feliks as he waited for him to continue.

“You can like, be my food trashcan!” he elaborated, sounding rather proud of himself. “It’s a sin to throw out bread into trash but it’s sooo not a sin if you throw it away into someone’s mouth!”

Toris chuckled at the idea. He had never met anyone as innovative as Feliks before. There were already quite a few times the other’s words surprised him in this first shared conversation this evening. “I really appreciate your kindness of giving me your bread and I don’t mind being your food trashcan at all. Are you sure it’s alright, though? You can perhaps keep the bread for the next day and don’t necessarily have to give them to me…” He tailed off as he looked away, feeling a bit uneasy accepting someone’s help.

“Nah, don’t worry about it.” Feliks waved his hand dismissively. “I bake fresh stuff every morning anyway and there’s always some leftovers. It’s a small business still, you know, so it’s totally fine.” He assured and pushed one of the buns into Toris’ hands. “So like, drop by sometime in the afternoon or evening or such every day; well, you can drop by earlier and like, help me out by carrying stuff or going to the shop or something.” He leaned back against the wall leisurely, looking at Toris through half-lidded eyes, grinning slightly. “I like it when people enjoy what I make, because like they totally should enjoy it. You can think of yourself as a walking advertisement actually, you know? You can go around, eat my stuff and say: ‘Mmmmm that’s so totally fabulous and good, it’s like, ohmygawd, so good.’ That would be perfect!”

Toris tightened the grip on the bun and smiled extra brightly after he had made sure that it wouldn’t affect Feliks’ work. He was too happy and excited to have met someone nice, who insisted on offering him free food. But of course, he would do something in return as to make it up to Feliks so he didn’t have to feel pathetic or a leech. “Thank you! I will be helping you in the bakery as well as helping you to promote. Your food is delicious and I am sure that the bread is also the same!” Well…Toris didn’t have any friends at all since he came to this city but he would certainly tell every single person he knew if he’d known more people.

“It’s a deal then!” Feliks said brightly and offered his hand to Toris. “By the way, Feliks Łukasiewicz. Yea, the name is long cause I’m Polish and frankly, I wouldn’t like to be anyone else. I suppose we’re gonna like, help each other from now on, yea?”

Toris reached his hand out in return, shaking Feliks’. “Nice to meet you and thank you so much for your help. I’m Toris Lorinaitis and I’m Lithuanian.”

Feliks pouted slightly, looking at Toris thoughtfully. “Your surname is even weirder than your name... I can’t even shorter it nicely. To? Tori? Lori? It’s so lame.” He clicked his tongue and then grinned, satisfied as he pulled his hand away and poked Toris in the chest instead. “Lithuanian, eh? Litwa? Lietuva? That’s like, perfect! You’re Liet then!” He announced triumphantly, his tone making it obvious he won’t take no for an answer.

Later, Toris would finish the remains of food, insist he feels good enough to go home on his own and promise on his Lithuanian honour, on the Commonwealth their countries shared centuries ago and on the Polish Rule that he would come to the bakery tomorrow.

And Feliks would be left alone in another quiet evening, TV turned on, playing one programme after another until it was time for the bed. And neither of them would realize that like this, on a quiet evening, on flower-patterned bedsheets, with food-filled tray between them and two pairs of eyes staring at each other, one green and the other greener, that was how it all started.


	2. Chapter 2

"Why do you like ponies so much?"

Toris blinked as soon as the question slipped past his lips and blushed lightly, seeing the confused - and was it a faint trace of amusement? - glance the blond shot him. He didn't mean to actually say it aloud; but in the last few days, he became so at ease around Feliks that they almost talked about anything.

Thinking that Feliks might not want to answer this strange question, he decided not to further embarrass both of them. "I-I will go into the kitchen to see if the baking is done!" He said as he put down his pen on the café table, standing up and headed towards the kitchen, trying to make it seem natural and pretended that nothing had happened.

After the evening they met, Toris kept his promise and came into the bakery early in the morning to assist Feliks setting up the shop every day. He'd stay there for the whole day till closing time and served when there were customers during daytime; he'd write with the pen and notebook he brought with him and chatted with Feliks when it wasn't too busy. It was a pleasant, simple routine; one that he found himself fitting into easily.

Meanwhile, Feliks watched the other go to the kitchen with a small grin on his face. It was midday; the shop was empty, since most of his usual customers were at work. Unless you count a mother with a child coming in to buy a snack for her little one, there was no rush until the people were on their way to return home.

Feliks used to dislike this moment of the day; it was quiet, peaceful and he had nothing to do. Most of the goods were already baked, save for another batch of bread (everything was sold out in the morning usually and he had to have fresh ones by the time people bought stuff for supper) but now, he found himself likening this part of the day the most. 

He did have some pleasant company, after all.

Toris, as Feliks observed, was a polite (maybe a bit too polite, sometimes Feliks felt like a barbarian next to him), calm and down to earth companion. Feliks discovered it was surprisingly easy to be comfortable around him, with the green eyes always calm, always patient, even when the Pole sometimes stumbled over his own words or grew quiet for a long time.

It was nice watching Toris work too; the way his forehead creased, brows furrowed, impatient drumming of long, slender fingers on the table... Feliks never realized just how fascinating it can be, watching a person simply write.

"Like, what do you mean, why do I like ponies so much? How can someone not like ponies? They're totally cool!" He called with a grin, titling his head slightly to glance into the kitchen. "I lived on the countryside as a kid, you know. I had my own pony there; she was the coolest ever. I could spend hours and hours riding, until I couldn't sit or move the next day but man, it was so totally worth it. She was so pretty too... I braided ribbons into her mane..."

Toris startled a little and froze on the spot when he heard Feliks' voice drifting towards him, bringing up the topic. But then he felt kind of relieved when the other actually answered his question without judging it. He turned around from staring at the baking pastries in the oven and listened to the other patiently. Feliks' eyes sparkled when he talked about his pony which proved the sincerity in his words. Toris couldn't help but chuckle seeing the other suddenly brighten up when it came to talk about his favorite subject. "What about now? How's she doing?" He asked as he took a teapot and two teacups out from the cupboard and began to make tea. The decorations and the atmosphere made the bakery so comfortable that it felt like home.

He watched the steam rose from the boiling kettle before turning the stove off, pouring the hot water into the teapot and brought everything out on a tray. He carefully set it on the café table he was previously sitting at with Feliks now sitting opposite to his seat before he sat down. It's always nice to give yourself some treats after working so hard. It didn't only apply to Toris but also Feliks. It's unbelievably busy in the morning with customers coming in to buy their breakfast; Feliks would then insist Toris to sit down to carry on with his writing while he prepared the evening slot himself. Toris wasn't completely concentrating on his job. He was attracted by the vision of Feliks working in a blue polka dot apron (his pony one was reserved for domestic purpose), busily carrying empty trays, running in and out from the kitchen to refill them. He'd peek up from time to time, not letting the other know about it.

Feliks grinned at Toris when he came back, taking his cup of tea, intent on wisely using all the time he had before the new batch of bread was ready and new wave of customers came in. "Like, thanks!" he said with a bright grin, blowing lightly on the steaming liquid in the cup before taking a careful sip. "And well, she's old now... My pony, I mean. So she can't run around like we used to..." he answered wistfully, resting his elbows on the table and placing his chin in his palm. 

Toris was lazily stirring his tea with the teaspoon as he listened. He felt sorry when he heard that pony wasn't as healthy as before. Feliks' tone then suddenly changed to a more cheerful one only before he was intending to show his sympathy and to soothe the other.

"But like, that totally doesn't mean she's lamer or anything! She's still the most awesome of all and her foals are also great." he quickly said, pouting slightly with determination, as if someone doubted it. "Do you like ponies?"

Toris laughed at the statement and nodded, "I know. You have to show me one day. And yes, I like ponies and horses." He took a sip of the tea before he continued. "Our family used to have a summer house in the countryside when I was little. I used to visit the farm whenever I went there. The farm owner would let me feed and ride on them. It's usual for children to be scared of animals which are taller and larger than them but they were so nice and obedient that I could immediately be friends with them." 

Feliks brightened at the new bit of information. "Then, you must be a totally, wickedly cool person! Ponies don't like lame people!" He exclaimed confidently, moving his spoon around in circles in his tea to move the sugar around a bit. 

"Thank you~" Toris blushed at the compliment, looking down, smiling sheepishly as he didn't know what else he could say.

And then Feliks frowned. "Wait, like, your family owns a summer house? How come you go around fainting from not having food then?" he asked, looking at Toris a bit confused and wary. Maybe he was a serial killer, preying on pretty blonds and deceiving them by fainting from starvation in front of their bakeries...

...Well, alright, no way Toris would be one, but still. Oooh, maybe he was actually rich and famous and one day, passing Feliks' bakery in his big, comfy, modern, black car, he saw him and fell in love and to get closer to Feliks, pretended to be poor, to see if Feliks would love him too for who he is or would he go for his wealth-

...W-wait, fall in love? Feliks felt his cheeks burn red at the thought and focused on his tea.

Alright, that got a bit ridiculous...

Toris didn't notice the change in the other so he began to explain the slightly painful question. "I actually left home without anyone's consent in the family…" He now felt a bit guilty of being rebellion and he kept looking down at his tea, trying to avoid eye contact with Feliks. "I was born in a slightly more privilege family with educated parents. My dad is a doctor and my mum is a lawyer. Of course they'd want their sons to follow their footsteps to have a 'good career' but their definition of a 'good career' contradicts with mine. They think that writing is a waste of time and try to discourage me from being a writer." He turned the cup to another side before picking it up and finished it. "I then decided to leave home after high school. I wanna pursue a career that I enjoy, prove to them that my definition is also a reasonable one." His expression turned all determined by the end of the explanation, showing that he didn't intend to give up.

"Hmmm~" Feliks made a thoughtful sound, watching Toris closely with unreadable, green eyes. "Well, I like, totally think writers are super cool and totally more interesting than doctors or lawyers, you know? I mean, imagine if you were all stiff and boring, all law-like, like 'it's against the law to use an inappropriately bent banana for this cake' and all that shenanigans. Or like, imagine if you ended up defending someone lame, like a serial killer who deceived pretty blondes by collapsing in front of their bakeries and then leeching off them!" He finally announced, his voice calm and confident. "Or a doctor, yuck, all bloodied and having to look at people private parts, even the ugly ones."

Toris was trying so hard to resist the urge to laugh as he heard Feliks telling him his opinions on doctors and lawyers. He knew that the other was attempting to prove to him that his career option and his dream wasn't a silly one or anything so it's rude not to treat it seriously. "T…Thank you."

"If you were, like, lawyer and stuff, you totally wouldn't be the Liet I like so much." He added after a moment, the words a rushed mumble as he gazed to the side. "So, like, you better totally never give up or you will face the wrath of Polish Rule!"

Toris wasn't quite sure if he had misheard what Feliks just said so he looked at the other, confused with his eyes widened. But then, he decided to play safe and not to clarify it because it would only make the situation awkward. "Thank you! I will try my very best!" He returned Feliks with a smile instead before he stood up and stretched. He only realized the time as he rolled his head and saw the clock on the wall. "Riiight! The evening batch is gonna start soon! I'd better clean up the place and prepare to help you to serve." He then collected the two empty teacups with the tray and brought them back into the kitchen for washing.

Feliks also glanced at the clock and pouted, seeing his free time got interrupted a bit. "Alright; You can pull the bread and all out from the oven already, it should be done by now." he remembered, his keen nose already finding the traces of the scent of freshly baked bread around them. It sorta made him hungry too; so Feliks sneakily took two blueberry tarts, biting into one and offering the other to Toris, by practically pushing it into the other's mouth. "Here, like, try it! You worked well today so you get an early treat!" he said graciously.

"……!" Toris tried hard not to drop the tart got pushed into his mouth suddenly with crumbles dropping off, messing his shirt and the floor. He had no hands to hold it properly as he was carrying the tray; so he tilted his head up, quickly bit the tart into tiny pieces and swallowed it down. He said thanks for the last time before disappearing into the kitchen. 

Feliks practically doubled in laughter at the sight, seeing Toris struggle like that and finding it actually quite endearing that he didn't simply spit the offending treat out. Sure, the other had a bit of dirty shirt and the floor was a mess but no customers actually saw that part of his bakery; it was behind the counter. "Like, hey, you know, that was pretty skillful." He finally wheezed, wiping the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes, face flushed. "No, no, seriously! Most would probably at least choke or like, spit it out, but you managed to eat it, that's sorta impressive!" He elaborated, before peeking into the kitchen, his eyes twinkling with amusement, a big, bright grin on his face. "Sooo... was it good?"

Toris wasn't sure if it's a compliment or not. He was blushing while washing the cups as he heard Feliks laughing so loud, commenting on his action. "I am glad that you find it entertaining." He placed the teacups upside down on the tray next to the basin for drying after he had finished washing them and wiped his hands with the kitchen towel before he put on the oven gloves, going over to the oven to take the freshly made bread out. "It's rude to spit out food. Plus it's so nice. I love your bread and tarts as well as the food you cook, Feliks." He said as he pulled the heated mould out, placing it on the heat-proof mat on the table in the middle of the kitchen. 

Feliks laughed and reached out to poke Toris lightly in the chest once the mould was safely placed down. "Like, you flatterer, you." He teased, a tiny blush spreading all over his face, an obviously pleased twinkle in his eyes. He glanced at the clock quickly, noting that it was almost 3 p.m; the people would start coming by after work to get some fresh food for dinner and supper.

He took a deep breath and averted his eyes, pouting slightly as he felt his blush deepen. Stupid reflex. "...Like, anyway..." he began, holding onto Toris' apron so that he wouldn't walk away "I was thinking, y'know? You could totally come over after work today. F-for tea or something." He got out in one quick breath, already feeling a bit silly over it. He'd really like to spend some quiet time with Toris, like on the first day, with that cozy, homely atmosphere surrounding them... And it was starting to get cold in the evenings and it was always somewhat warmer when there was a person to share a cup of tea with, while huddled under a blanket, watching the next episode of "Friends" or "Ally McBeal".

Toris looked down and he believed that his face must be reddened at Feliks' unexpected act. It shouldn't have happened though since they were both guys, yet he couldn't help but find the other cute. "Yes, sure. Why not?" He put on a bright smile before he continued. "You might have known about it already but I found a nice grocery shop few streets away when I arrived at this town. If you don't mind me staying for a bit longer rather than just having a cup of tea, I'd really like to cook you something in return and we can perhaps get some materials there after work?" He didn't really have confidence in his own suggestion since Feliks could already cook very well and he might probably find him stupid. "I-It's fine though if you don't want me to mess around your kitchen!" He then waved frantically in the air, allowing room for Feliks to reject him and to make it less uneasy for himself just in case.

Feliks couldn't help but brighten up in a radiant smile at the suggestion. He laughed with delight at Toris' rather frantic spectacle, reaching out to pet him on the arm once it was safe enough. "Like, golly, not being forced to cook after months of daily standing in the kitchen over the pots? I love cooking, seriously, but come on, I'd totally love a change now and then!" He assured with a happy voice, positively beaming at the prospect, his cheeks only slightly flushed.

He thought about Toris, with his hair tied back for cooking, standing over his stove, he imagined both of them at one table, eating and laughing and talking and Feliks teasing, saying his food was tons better and Toris all flustered, before noting that despite saying it, Feliks was eagerly stuffing his mouth like that, huh, wonder why, and Feliks would laugh, announce that no one can be better than him but Toris comes in really close second. And he'd get scolded for talking with his mouth full.

And like this, just before the customers got more frequent and they both got too busy to talk anymore, like this, quietly, naturally, they passed a milestone they both didn't notice.


	3. Chapter 3

Time had been good between Toris and Feliks. They were happy being together and they believed that their normal routine would continue without any doubts until one day….  
  
"Toris!?"  
  
Toris turned around from drafting his latest novel ideas in his own apartment as he heard someone fiercely turning the doorknob of the main door. He then stared at the door blankly as it was being swung open.  The familiar figure approached Toris without hesitation and all he could do was to stare at it wide-eyed.  
  
"E-Eduard? Why are you here?" Toris stood up, unable to take a step forward while he was still looking at the said figure, his brother, Eduard, in shock.  
  
"God! It's so hard to get in contact with you Toris! Why's your phone not working?" Eduard took Toris' arm as soon as he was at his desk, pulling him over to his closet, fishing some clothes out from it and chucking them on his bed.  
  
"I guess the service has been terminated by the phone company cause I haven't paid the phone bill?" said Toris, who had completely no idea what was going on, busily picking up the clothes got shoved on his bed, collecting them in his arm, intending to return them to the original place.  
  
"H-hey! What's wrong with you, Eduard? You suddenly broke into my apartment and now you are messing around with my clothes! Can you please stop it?"  
  
"No time, Toris." Eduard eventually stopped as he turned around, pushing his glasses up his nose bridge. "I've finally managed to find you a job in a publisher, using all my possible relations but it's so hard to get hold of you!"  
  
Toris blinked a few times, not believing in what he just heard was true. "Oh my god! Really?" He grabbed Eduard's arms with anticipation, wanting to make sure that he wasn't dreaming or anything.  
  
"Yes, really." Eduard smiled to reassure Toris before carrying on. "There's a deadline till which the company's willing to wait though…I'm afraid that we have to leave this city tonight."  Eduard continued to help with packing while he left Toris standing there, allowing him time to understand the whole situation.  
  
Toris' expression suddenly turned from excitement to apprehension. "W-What? TONIGHT?!"  
  
"Yes, tonight." Eduard locked the suitcase which was mainly packed with clothes as he answered Toris.  
  
"Wait, wait…That's too sudden…I need to stop by that one bakery and-" Toris' sentence was stopped by Eduard before he could continue.  
  
"Our train is leaving in 10 minutes. Forget that, Raivis will handle all the formalities here.  We need to catch the train now!" After dropping Toris the last sentence, Eduard quickly took Toris' coat off the clothes stand before he picked up the suitcase, dragging Toris out from his apartment…  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Feliks sighed as he closed up his bakery, like he did hundreds of times before. He glanced at the bag in his hand - the few leftovers that were at the end of every day, even if he spent weeks of coming up with just the right amount of bread and buns and pastries to bake. Not so long ago, he was happy there was some leftover but now...  
  
He pouted to himself and tugged his coat more firmly around himself just so he wouldn't have any visible sad face on (he knew from his pictures he looked ugly when he was sad so it was best avoided, for him and everyone involved).  
  
Liet didn't come back one day, all of a sudden, and Feliks had gone even to the lengths of calling police and hospitals, asking for him - only to muster up courage to find the other's apartment he got the address sometime ago and discover it was deserted.  
  
"He moved out." The landlord told him in a bored tone. "Found job or whatever. He was lousy at paying rent anyway."  
  
Feliks was strongly tempted to tell him that Liet was anything but lousy when it came to anything in this whole world, but, well, apparently that wasn't the truth.  
  
He was so lousy at keeping friends and... and... people who were his friends but totally wouldn't mind being more.  
  
I mean, it was nice, alright? Liet finally found a job, probably moved out somewhere better... But he could've come in from time to time. Just to say thank you if not anything more.  
  
Feliks was never good at making friends. Up to this date, his only friend was Liet and Eli, the girl from Hungary he kept writing to. And he actually tried his best with making friends, alright? Just... people were tired of his weird habits and left before they could become somehow attached or used to them.  
  
Still, Liet could've been more polite about this whole thing.  
  
Feliks scowled now instead of pouting; the fact he's been moping around for days over it didn't sit well with him because, enough is totally enough. Fine. He'd go on without Liet. Who needs him anyway.  
  
"Hey!" he called to an old man rampaging through the dumpster nearby. The guy had a thick beard and looked at Feliks with frightened, wide eyes.  
  
Feliks just tossed him the leftover bag he was carrying. "Smacznego." he told him, unbothered by the fact the man probably didn't understand what just happened and then turned right on his heels and strode back home.   
  
He'd taken to small walks after work, now that coming home wasn't fun anymore.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
It's early in the morning when Toris arrived at the city Eduard brought him to. He was being introduced to the publisher he'd be working for right after depositing the luggage at the new apartment his brother arranged for him. This publisher company had been facing some financial problems therefore many employees resigned which resulted in many vacancies and the situation of lack of staff. It might not be a good timing entering such publisher as it implied that everyone would have to double, or even triple their effort in upholding the company while the salary would be cut down as to tackle the difficult financial situation. Toris didn't really mind that at all as long as he could finally approach his dream closer. He was assigned to write for a particular column on the newspaper as well as working as a proofreader for some other work.  
  
Toris' busy new life began in a rush without taking a proper break or not even being given any chance to adjust to the new environment. He however felt that something unexplainable was missing whenever he had a little private time not working.  
  
It could be Feliks, he thought. Feliks could be the main reason that he felt there was something not going right. There was no way that he'd forgotten about him. Truth to be told, he'd been dying to get in touch with Feliks; to explain to him everything which happened so suddenly, to tell him how much he wanted to see him…But there was no means that he could do so. First of all, he didn't have Feliks' phone number since he couldn't afford one before so it wouldn't be useful asking for it; He could choose to write Feliks but he didn't know the exact address. He only knew how to go there in person remembering his way when he was being put in the streets in that town. He did consider going back to meet Feliks directly but his heavy workload wouldn't allow him to take a day off.  
  
Days became months and months became years...Five years passed in a blink of an eye.  
  
Toris' career had been going smoothly. He kept writing his own stories, contributing them to various publishers while he worked as a column writer and a proofreader at the same time. His work eventually got appreciated by one of the publishers and they began to publish his work as a series starting from that point.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Life went on for Feliks. He still baked his pastries, he still wore his pony apron, his bakery was still holding on, having few regular customers. He was laughing as usual, serving others with a smile on his face and trying to come up with new treats to sell.  
  
Still, there would be times when he'd just grow quiet, when his bakery was empty and quiet, and just listen, without realizing that he was waiting for the sound of pen scribbling on paper, some sort of shuffling coming from the kitchen or maybe even a polite voice, asking him where to place the newly baked goods.  
  
It never came and soon enough, Feliks stopped listening, stopped looking around in hopes of spotting shoulder-long brown hair, deep green eyes and a warm smile.  
  
Life went on and so did his soap-operas so now his evenings were filled with the sound of TV playing and his meals were made just for one person.  
  
It was Eli, that wonderful, totally awesome girl who was there for him and got him out of the slight slum. She barged into Feliks' home one Sunday and declared he better take a day off because they're going on some hardcore shopping spree and she's not taking no for an answer. They ended up spending a whole day in the mall, stuffed themselves silly with ice-cream and chocolate desserts and topped it all with some cheesy chick-flick comedy (the main guy was nothing like Liet and the main heroine was nothing like him so Feliks could laugh freely and coo at them and he even shed a few tears at the grand finale, with a bawling Eli at his sleeve).  
  
It was also Eli who sent him that book on his birthday few years after that. It was a new author and she just read his first book and loved it so much so there's a chance Feliks will love it too and 'Wszystkiego Najlepszego!'. So, because his evening were mostly uneventful anyway, Feliks ended up starting on that book on the same day...  
… And ended up staying up for the whole night, biting his nails off in excitement and almost missing the right time to get up for work. Because it was the book. It was finally what he was looking for, an escape from reality, something to distract himself with and it was simply fabulous.   
  
The author was on Feliks' favourite list immediately but he couldn't find any information about him (her?), he (she) seemed a rather discreet person, not yet willing to reveal himself (herself) to the public. It was alright, though. As long as he had the books, Feliks didn't particularly care.  
And so, time went on.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
The new series seemed to have suited the public expectation since sales went good. Toris gradually gained popularity but he wasn't the kind of person who loved to brag about his success and let people admire him.  He continued writing without revealing his identity until the publication of the novel he wrote based on his life before becoming a writer which the public particularly liked.  He also received thousands and millions of fan letters, begging him to at least publish a picture of himself in his upcoming work which made him find it a bit uneasy. Considering the situation, his editor believed that it was time to disclose his identity and proposed the idea of having a signature event which would allow him to meet with his fans while promoting his new novel at the same time. There wasn't any better reason for Toris to reject the proposal so all he could do was to comply with it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
 __  
 _"Łukasz." Arvikas spoke, grasping the blonde's wrist, pausing his movements in cleaning up the counter in the back door of the small, cozy bakery._  
  
"Y-Yes?" Łukasz stopped cleaning and looked at the other wide-eyed.  
  
Arvikas then suddenly turned the other over, tilting his head a little before sealing their lips together. He had always been considering this starting from…he didn't even know when. He eventually reached his limit secretly hiding his desire plus…Łukasz somehow looked different today. He seemed to be more attractive than usual.  
  
Łukasz gasped at the feeling, his hands coming up to grasp at Arvikas' jacket, holding himself steady. At first, he was shocked by the action but as the initial surprise passed, he started to respond slowly, almost shyly, eyes fluttering closed. A vivid red blush bloomed on his cheeks as his lips moved against the Lithuanian's mouth, movements a bit clumsy and obviously inexperienced and yet, trying to pretend like he knew what he was doing and that he felt confident about it.  Of course, he dreamt...wondered... imagined how this would feel, if he ever got to experience it and yet, he never imagined it would take place in his very own bakery, just after closing time.  
  
He allowed himself to submit and surrender to the kiss, losing himself in all the wonderful sensation Arvikas gave him until his lungs burned for more air and he had to part, mouth parted, lips and cheeks reddened, eyes glazed, his breath coming out in short, quick gasps.  
  
Arvikas thought he'd have scared the other so it was a kind of relief that Łukasz didn't run away from him or showed that he was disgusted by what he did when they parted for air. He couldn't help but smile, considering the fact that Łukasz accepted him and returned him the kiss.  He closed his eyes, leaning down to the other's ear and whispered that he's beautiful as he nibbled the earlobe from time to time while he pressed their bodies close together.  
  
"Nnnn..." Łukasz mewled as he titled his head, giving Arvikas more access. "Like...I had no idea you thought that..." And then Arvikas bit him just there, right under his ear and Łukasz wisely decided that talking isn't so important now. His fingers tightened on the other's jacket, tugging on it to bring them as close as possible and then, he moved his hands higher, tangling in the brown locks of the Lithuanian.  
  
Arvikas then kissed his way down the other's neck, nuzzling and sucking on the soft skin there while his hands roamed down Łukasz's sides, tracing them lightly and then curving around his bottom, pushing his hips close to his body so that he could grind his arousal against Łukasz's better.  
  
Łukasz let out a loud moan, biting down on his lower lip as his hips pushed back on reflex, desperately wanting more friction against his hardened member. He glanced up at Arvikas, his expression a mixture of desire and embarrassment. "Like... come on..." he practically whined, his hips pushing at the Lithuanian's, creating delicious sensations coursing through both of their bodies.  
  
Arvikas became more confident at the whole situation knowing that Łukasz wanted more and that he was also being aroused. He noticed that it was probably Łukasz's first time from the inexperienced kiss so he gave him a reassuring smile, placing a kiss on the blonde's forehead before he gently lied him down on the counter behind them.   
  
Łukasz's hands let go of the brown locks he was gripping and moved lower, unsure and a bit nervous, as if not knowing where to focus, wanting to touch and feel everything at once. Finally he pushed them under the other's shirt, his need seemingly slightly appeased at the touch of warm, naked skin.  
  
Arvikas inhaled a gulp of air as he felt the other's cold hands on his bare skin. He allowed them to run down from his neck to his chest for a while before he brought his hands to Łukasz's back, helping him to untie the knot on the apron he was wearing, pulling it over his head so that he could finally undo the buttons on the shirt.   
  
Łukasz squirmed a bit as the apron was pulled off and then discarded somewhere on the ground carelessly. He felt all exposed, lying down on the counter all sprawled like that but he allowed the other to do as he pleased, undoing his shirt and exposing his pale chest. He gave Arvikas a shy smile obviously embarrassed but trusting enough to show himself like this to the other. He raised his leg and hooked it around the Lithuanian's waist, ensuring they were still pressed close.  
  
Arvikas had to hold back a chuckle seeing the other being so adorable. Łukasz managed to create an enjoyable pressure for Arvikas by hooking his legs around the other's waist.  He leaned forward, softly nipping at the collar bone before he kissed a path down the other's body and only stopped at the hardened nubs on his chest. Arvikas flickered his tongue over one of them before sucking on it while the other hand teasingly brushing over the other.  
  
Łukasz moaned loudly, back arching as he felt Arvikas' hot mouth cover his nipple, causing a wave of burning heat to rapidly pool in his abdomen. He closed his eyes, head turning to the side as he panted softly, body squirming under the taller man. Tiny droplets of sweat started to appear on his pale skin, making it glisten gently.  
  
Arvikas smiled inwardly for causing such reactions in Łukasz. He continued to trail kisses down and licked the glistening sweat drops off the other's body on his way. His hands shifted down to unbuckle the belt on Łukasz's pants, pulling them off along with his boxers, allowing them to drop on the ground. He wrapped his warm hand around the other's arousal, stroking it at a steady pace.  
  
A loud, needy mewl escaped Łukasz as he finally felt the touch where he wanted it most. His hips rocked slightly under the rhythmic movements, adjusting to the pace Arvikas set. He tried to raise his head and see how it looked but he felt too overwhelmed with lust and need and his head thumped quietly in resignation against the counter after another attempt. He decided to focus on just feeling instead, feeling the slightly rough palm moving against his sensitive skin, quiet moans and whimpers escaping his lips without his knowledge.  
  
Łukasz's moan turned Arvikas on a bit further. He was actually so hard in his pants that it hurt. He then unbuttoned the trousers and sighed as he freed himself. He leaned forward, planting a kiss on the other's lips before informing him what was going to happen. "It may hurt a little for what I will be doing but please tell me if you can't bear with it, alright? I don't want to hurt you." He smiled at Łukasz at the end of his sentence, giving the other a few more strokes before he spit on his hand, slicking up his fingers, slowly entering a digit into the entrance.  
  
Łukasz nodded, a bit nervous, his hands tightening into fists, now resting on the table. He bit down on the lower lip again, tensing up as he felt the pressure against his opening. He wiggled a bit, the feeling totally weird because well, it was his first time experiencing something like that but at least it didn't hurt... at least yet. He shifted, trying to get it into a somewhat more comfortable position. "Alright... it doesn't hurt now so you can, like, totally go on." he spoke, trying to act confident, even if his voice shook a bit with nervousness.  
  
Arvikas knew that Łukasz was still uncomfortable with it so he reassured him by holding his hand, lacing their fingers together. He slowly began to move his finger in and out, slipping his finger deeper inside each time, trying to find the sweet spot. He then added a second finger to start scissoring as he felt the tight muscle relaxing under his touch.  
  
Łukasz mewled and whimpered at the feeling, his hips starting to rock against the other's touch, almost on reflex. The uncomfortable, new feeling slowly faded away and he got used to it, actually finding some pleasure in Arvikas' actions. And then one finger brushed something inside him that Łukasz had no idea even existed and a loud, surprised cry escaped his lips, back arching. It felt like an electric jolt almost, running all over his body with sharp, intense pleasure and he lifted his green, dazed eyes to look at his partner, full of wonder and need.  
  
Arvikas put on a naughty smile as Łukasz reacted differently when he brushed over something inside him. "So it's there, isn't it?" He prodded it a little before removing his fingers with one swift stroke when he deemed to have stretched the other enough.    
  
"What's there..." Łukasz panted out, whole body trembling after the intense sensations that washed over him each time Arvikas as much as touched that place inside him. He bit down on his lower lip as he felt the hand pull out of his body and then saw the other shifting, changing his position. He had a good idea what would come next and he was excited and scared at the same time, craving it with his whole heart and fearing what would it be like.   
  
Arvikas then repositioned himself against the opening, entering the blonde slowly but fully.  
  
Łukasz felt something bigger and hotter than Arvikas' fingers slid inside him and he groaned, feeling a slight burn at his body being stretched wider.   
  
Arvikas supported himself against the counter table with a hand as he tried to push in deeper. He looked down at the blonde underneath him, panting, with sweat drops dripping off his face. "Y-you alright?" It's so tight inside Łukasz that he didn't dare to go too quick no matter how aroused and desperate he was or he'd hurt and scare the person he loved, who just accepted him by actions.  
  
"Y-yea, like, I'm...I'm totally fine..." Łukasz managed to pant out, his voice breathless and a bit forced. Actually, he wanted to say he was as fine as he could be, with something shoved up inside him but he wasn't sure he could get that many words out right now. He took few, shuddering breaths and forced his body to gradually relax, getting used to the intrusion. As the burning feeling also faded, he looked up at Arvikas, gaze a bit shy and embarrassed. "Like...uh. You can... move now. And junk."  
  
Arvikas looked a bit concerned, not fully trusting that Łukasz was fine. He couldn't turn this situation back either so he could only be as gentle as possible. "Okay…" He nodded in agreement before he pulled out slowly and thrust back in.  
  
Łukasz gave a loud cry at the feeling; he never experienced anything like that before (obviously) so he was soaking in all the foreign sensation. It didn't hurt, like he secretly feared and he felt his legs moving on their own to hook behind Arvikas even before he could think about doing it. He wondered for so long, how this would feel, to finally be completely joined with Arvikas, the person he grew to love and cherish so much from their first, rather unlikely, meeting. "I'm... I'm good." he assured the other, this time managing even a small smile.  
  
It's always nice to know that Łukasz also wanted Arvikas with how his legs hooked behind his back. He leaned down to kiss the other's forehead, returning him with a smile as he sped up the pace, thrusting into the other harder and deeper each time with Łukasz moving along him, playing a counterpoint harmony to his melody.  
  
Łukasz wasn't even aware of all the moans and gasps spilling from his mouth as his body moved instinctively against Arvikas', submitting to the pace the Lithuanian set. He could feel each thrust so thoroughly, each movement seeming to build up something inside him, a bubble the Łukasz was just desperate to burst. "Like...I...so totally...good..." he moaned out, trying to somehow convey his feelings. His arms reached up for the man on top of him and wrapped firmly around Arvikas' neck.  
  
"I-It's good here too…"Arvikas said with a shaky and breathy voice.  He thought Łukasz was getting close as he could feel the other's body getting tense and he felt his own stomach tightening as well. The two moved together as one, each accentuating the other, moving closer and closer to the brink until Arvikas felt Łukasz tightened around him.  
  
Arvikas looked down at Łukasz, who was obviously a bit dazed by the whole feeling, still a bit high on his orgasm. He watched the other's chest heave with quick, deep breaths as their bodies slowly calmed down and leaned closer. His arms moved around Łukasz's lithe body, holding him close. "Łukasz... there's something I always wanted to tell you. I lo   
  
Feliks snapped the book shut, inwardly giggling silly to himself. The whole story made him feel all tingly and warm inside and the fact that one of the main protagonists was just like him, utterly fabulous Polish baker, only added to the thrill of the whole story. And it was nice... he also met a Lithuanian aspiring writer but their story went completely different from his and well, it was nice to imagine and daydream...  
  
Toris had been sitting at the event place in the largest local bookstore since the morning, busily signing, shaking hands and exchanging a few words with his fans that came all the way to his signature event while promoting his new book at the same time. It was a few hours past noon but he still hadn't had anything warm in his stomach and he didn't intend to take a break till he finished signing for the line.   
  
Feliks couldn't afford to get distracted now; the line was getting shorter and only few people were left in front of him. He could feel his shyness kick in and he cursed inwardly, trying to summon the courage. He wanted to say so much, he wanted to tell that he's just like Łukasz, well, not identical, but really similar and their situation is alike and-  
  
Then the person in front of him left and Feliks took a step forward, bravely raising his gaze to finally see the man who created this wonderful story he got lost in for so many hours. He opened his mouth, determined to at least say a proper greeting.  
  
And he froze, eyes going wide.  
  
Toris was waving good-bye at the fan he just signed for and his eyes only widened when he turned back to face the next person in the line, seeing bright blonde hair and bright green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italic somehow doesn't work in the middle part but I hope you got the idea!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you [combustiblelemon](http://archiveofourown.org/users/combustiblelemon) for beta-ing it!
> 
> And the html messed up again...sorry. I can't fix it no matter how many times I've tried reformatting it.

Feliks quickly regained his composure. Poker faced, he handed the book to Toris. Unfortunately, his hands were shaking, but he tried to pass it off as he finally got to meet the author of his favourite book. He found it hard to look into Toris' eyes, his mind racing with a thousand questions he'd kept to himself all these years. At least he knew he was doing well. His face was turned away from him, unable to bear looking into the eyes of the man he trusted so much.

Toris was sure that the person who was standing in front of him was the person who he could never forget. It was the pretty Pole who ran his own bakery in a little town; the one who saved his life once, and the blue-print of one of the protagonists in his story. So many feelings welled up inside of him. He had to keep reminding himself that he was at work and he ought to maintain his professional attitude in an attempt to stop the urge from jumping up, pulling Feliks aside and have a private conversation with him.

He accepted the book that was handed to him with shaky hands like the other's, trying to remain calm and neutral about seeing Feliks. 

Calm down, Toris. You're at a signature event with a long queue. You can have a proper chat with Feliks once you are done with it, Toris told himself and he became determined. He took a deep breath to stop his hands from shaking and signed. He slowed down his pen and peeked up in the middle of the process, seeing that the blond was still looking to the side, he quickly scribbled something under his signature before he closed the book and returned it to the other.

There was so much he wanted to tell him. He couldn't afford to lose the only chance of getting hold of Feliks.

"Thank you." Just like he treated his other readers, Toris gave Feliks a professional smile and lowered his head to show his gratitude as his reader walked away.

Feliks sighed and walked away, unable to get the image of Toris out of his head. He frowned, and tried to hold back his emotions. He managed to make it out of the bookstore, his fists clenched as he thought about how much he'd been wishing to see Toris all this time and having finally seen him again, he'd walked away! Just like that, he'd walked away from the man who'd once brought him such great happiness and had also caused him great pain and many sleepless, lonely nights thinking about him.  
He took a deep breath and tried to regain some sort of composure before heading back home to his bakery. At least there he could think straight and feel relaxed. Well, sort of. It was definitely better than looking at Toris and realising how ridiculous he must have seemed.

He nervously stepped onto the train, half-expecting to hear Toris calling to him to wait, that he remembered him and wanted him to stay. It would never happen though, and as he sat down, glancing out the window at couples saying their goodbyes with hugs and kisses and tears, promising to see each other again real soon, he realised how unlucky he was.

At least he still had his bakery and the smiles of the customers and warm, sweet smelling bread and baked goods. He closed his eyes and tried to drift off to a happier place, a place where he and Toris would be living together again, happily laughing as they stood, covered in flour.

The sudden stop of the train jostled Feliks awake and he blinked sleepily. He'd returned home, he noticed, as he recognised many of the buildings.

As he got off, he continued to think about Toris, still hoping that he'd followed him home or was also thinking about him, planning a way to win back Feliks' heart.

Win back? Had Toris even won it in the first place? He stopped walking to ponder this momentarily and nodded gently before continuing. Yes, he had won his heart, that's why his chest felt so empty and cold. He probably doesn't even remember me, he thought to himself as he unlocked his bakery door and headed upstairs to his room.

Despite his griping, he set down the book onto the table next to his bed with much care and delicacy. He'd still loved the story, despite the fact that the person who had written it gave Feliks so many mixed feelings.

It wouldn't be until after Feliks had changed into a pair of pony-patterned pajamas, had grabbed a cup of decaffeinated coffee, and snuggled up under his blankets that he'd notice the signature in his book was longer than the others and that Toris had actually written him a very important note.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Toris had a hard time concentrating after he had met Feliks. He couldn't help but let his mind wander, wondering if the other still remembered him; guessing that he must have hated him for reappearing in front of him after suddenly disappearing without prior notice; worrying about the note he had written underneath the signature wasn't noticeable enough and kept wondering if he had already left the city.

The remaining of time seemed to have passed slower than Toris had anticipated. It was already 4pm by the time the signature event was over. After going through the formalities, Toris could finally leave the bookstore accompanied by his editor. He practically dashed out of the building, telling his editor that there was something urgent that he had to handle immediately and he would get in touch with him in a day or two before running in the direction of the train station. 

He wasn't someone reckless who would go look for Feliks in the sea of people without even knowing his contact number. He checked the train timetable for the following day and booked himself the earliest ticket back to the little town he used to live with Feliks, before buying a sandwich for his lunch, as well as his dinner that he planned to eat at his apartment while he packed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Let's meet two days later, at the usual spot at 7pm."

The next day, Feliks continued to glance at those words, again and again all day, whenever he had some off-time in his bakery. The times where he was busy with customers he repeated the phrase in his head time and time again.

It didn't take Feliks more than two seconds to understand the line Toris had written underneath his signature. Though it wasn't stated clearly, he was certain that 'the usual spot' was his bakery.  
He was glad to know that Toris still remembered him on one hand, while on the other hand, he wasn't sure if he wanted to meet the said Lithuanian even though - which he had been trying to deny it over the past five years - he had missed him terribly.

It'd be difficult for Toris to repair the distrust Feliks held for him. He had left him, left him and not told him where he was going or why he was leaving. All this time he'd thought Toris no longer found his little baker good enough for him once he had become famous.

Feliks put a bet on Toris. Instead of meeting at the correct time, at seven, he'd leave the other man hanging outside the bakery for a few hours before he appeared. If Toris did wait, Feliks would recognise his sincerity and listen to him. If not, he'd only have to blame himself for falling in love with the wrong person.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Liet was so nervous that his stomach lurched over the night. He woke up a lot earlier than he had planned to in the morning but couldn't get back to sleep no matter how he shut his eyes or shifted position. His mind was already racing, coming up with different possible situations that could happen when he met Feliks. He finally gave up when his head began to hurt and rose from his bed. 

It wouldn't be a long trip. In fact, he intended to return on the same day so there wasn't much to pack. He took the clothes he chose the previous night off the hanger and got dressed. In fact, they were some of the best clothes in his closet. It'd be best to dress up smart to meet Feliks, hopefully it'd help to redeem the negative impression on abandoning him.

After he was both physically and mentally prepared, Toris took his coat off the coat rack and stepped out from his apartment, heading towards the train station with the sky still dark outside. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Every single emotion Feliks held for Toris and had been trying to conceal finally reached the limit and swelled up when he became aware of the fact that they were going to meet.  
He even dreamed about the best few months in his life when Toris visited his bakery daily and helped out. Emptiness filled him when he was being awoken by the neighs made by his pony alarm clock. Feliks only realised how much he wanted to go back to the olden days when it gave him a heartache.  
He glanced up at the ceiling which was growing lighter as the sky outside grew paler in the early morning sunlight; His fists clenched on the covers while biting down his lips in an attempt to stop the warm tears in the corner of his eyes from rolling down his cheeks.

Everything will end today…  
I will like, totally get an answer today…

Feliks tried to convince himself that he only had to bear with nostalgia and the pain in his chest for a few more hours as he slowly got onto his feet and dressed for work as usual.  
The day had gone by normally so far. He managed to not allow the emerging emotion to affect his performance and served his customers with the same friendly smile. The only difference was that his heart skipped a beat and he froze for a brief second whenever the bell that was hanging on the handle of the front door twinkled.  
All throughout the day he glanced at the clock, checking the time. Within five hours of when he and Toris' meet-up was supposed to take place, despite he knew it was still very early, he couldn't help but keep glancing up at the door whenever someone came in, his heart continuously skipping a beat.  
At this rate, Feliks thought, I'll totally have a heart attack…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Even Toris himself couldn't explain why he booked the earliest train and left so early. It would only take him four hours to go to the other city on the train and it was very likely that he'd arrive a lot earlier than the proposed time. 

It was probably his desire to meet Feliks that could be blamed. 

The uneasy feeling he had been experiencing since the night before didn't get any better even at the moment he stepped onto the train. The four-hour train ride was a torture for him. He was more than happy to get off when the train had finally reached its destination before noon.

Taking in the view that he didn't have a chance to appreciate when he last hastily left the same platform at the same station five years ago, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Everything only seemed to have happened yesterday. No dramatic changes were being brought to the surrounding areas. The sight in front of him resembled that of before.

Considering that it was still very early, Toris decided to take a walk in the town centre to kill time before the promised meet-up time.

The smell of cooking from the restaurant kitchens on that street swept into Toris' nose, making him realise that it was about time to have lunch.  
He immediately recalled a similar situation which had occurred five years ago. It happened on a day when Toris still hadn't become a writer; in the evening after he'd spent the cold winter day writing in the park as usual. It was also the smell of cooking which made him notice how hungry he was, but he didn't have enough money at that time. He'd had to endure the hunger and ended up passing out in the alley next to Feliks' bakery.

The only difference between now and five years ago was the amount of wealth he possessed.

Toris treated himself to a nice Polish lunch at one restaurant (although there wasn't any cooking that could beat Feliks' in Toris' opinion). The nostalgic flavours made him painfully aware of how much he had missed Feliks, making him more desperate to meet the other and resolve all the misunderstandings.  
After finishing the plates of food, Toris paid at the counter before sprinting in the direction of the bakery, no longer caring about the meet-up time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Feliks had a moment to rest as one of the last customers that was in the shop left. He looked up, though, when the bell on the door rang as someone entered. 

"Good afternoon--" It was the Lithuanian who he hadn't been expecting to see right then, who he was supposed to meet up later in the evening that was standing at the door, trying to catch his breath. He managed to stammer out before he realised who it was. 

"L-Liet...uh..." He had no idea what to say to him, all of the questions he'd been planning to ask were suddenly gone from his mind.

Toris swallowed hard so that he could at least steady his voice.

"Feliks…I'm…I'm so sorry…" He swallowed again before he straightened himself and approached Feliks, throwing his arms around him, pulling the shorter boy into a tight hug. "I'm really, really sorry…I've missed you…" 

Feliks flinched, attempting to pull away. It was too sudden and close for comfort, although his heart cried for him to keep holding on to him. He stopped struggling for a moment to realise that Liet was here, earlier than planned, apologising and holding tightly to him.  
"L-Liet…" he stammered again, hugging him in return. He felt the warmth of tears beginning to fall down his cheeks in relief. He was relieved, but why? Why was he relieved to see him? Maybe, in some unconscious way it confirmed that Liet still cared about him, that there was some hope for the Lithuanian after all.  
His fingers gripped Toris' shirt tighter as he refused to let go now, afraid to lose him again. He still wanted his questions answered, but he could ask them later...right now, they weren't very important.

Toris felt a sensation of his heart being warmed up hearing the unique nickname that was given by Feliks. He was happy and relieved, mostly happy, that Feliks still remembered him, and that half of what he expected, including Feliks throwing a tantrum at him, didn't happen.  
He pulled away slightly, looking down at the Pole and lifted a hand up to brush away the tears on the other's cheek and smiled weakly.  
"Don't cry. I am here."  
"Where have you been?" Feliks' voice cracked as he pushed out the only question that was on his mind right now, as well as the one that had kept hidden for so long. He could still hardly believe that Toris was actually standing in his bakery. He sniffled a little, holding back anymore tears that might come.

Toris saw this coming but he still felt uneasy when the question was being directed at him. He sighed, thinking that it'd be best for him to clear the cloud for Feliks and explain from the very beginning instead of waiting for him to ask him questions one by one. 

"I have been living in the city which the publisher I work for is located." He slid his hand down from Feliks' cheek, now both hands holding the other boy's. He cast his gaze down to the ground as guilt struck him.

"My brother paid an unexpected visit to my apartment on the evening before the day I disappeared. He suddenly told me that he found me a job at the publisher and I had to leave immediately as to meet their deadline for waiting."

Now that Feliks had calmed down, he looked up at the taller Lithuanian with patient eyes, trusting him enough to continue without further questioning. 

Toris eventually opened his mouth again but he still couldn't bring himself to look directly into Feliks' eyes. "I wasn't able to tell you on that night and I didn't have your contact number nor address…" 

He now looked up genuinely from the ground at Feliks, "Please trust me, I did think about coming back here to see you but I was so busy that I could never make it."

Silence fell between them for a while as tension built up. It was Feliks who let out a sigh this time, closing his eyes after digesting and weighing the trustworthiness in Toris' words.

To be honest, Feliks had never suspected Toris. He knew he was an honest man and all he was doing was simply allowing all the details to sink in.

As Feliks opened his eyes again, he averted his gaze with a blush on his cheeks, didn't want to admit aloud that he'd already forgiven Toris.

"What did you do at the publisher before you, like, became a famous writer then?" 

Toris' face immediately glowed in bliss. He tightened the grip on Feliks' hands, beaming down at him with his eyebrows raised in disbelief. He couldn't believe that he didn't need much explanation and persuasion, which he had been expecting to convince Feliks. Does it mean that he had never caused huge distrust in the other? Or it means that Feliks has always wanted to trust him?  
Either way, Toris was elated at the development of event. "You've forgiven me?"

Feliks didn't mind the tightened grip on his hands as it didn't hurt at all. He was determined not to meet the gleam in Toris' eyes and avoided answering the obvious question while he was still wearing the same pink on his face. "So like, what did you do?"

Toris took that as a 'yes' and explained in a less serious tone, "I first worked as an editor at the publisher and corrected works of various authors, preparing them for printing. I also had to make sure that they met submission deadlines."

Feliks, who didn't normally care about things that weren't concerned about him, gasped at the new piece of information even though it seemed pretty obvious for what an editor did. "Whoa! That sounds totally busy!" 

Toris nodded in response and smiled bitterly as he recollected his hellish life at the beginning of his career. "I only had time to write my own stories on the weekends. After millions of failed contributions, one publisher finally accepted my work and signed a contract with me, agreeing to publish my work."

Feliks' face lit up in anticipation, looking forward to hearing the rest of the story and Toris chuckled at his reaction. "It was a bit unexpected that the book became that popular, though. I basically received thousands of pieces of mail from fans every day."

"What? Like, for your loving making literature?" Feliks narrowed his eyes with the corners of his mouth curled upward and took the opportunity to tease Toris while he paused to breathe before he continued.

"F-Feliks!!" Toris flustered at the comment and his face flushed, which made Feliks giggled.

After regaining his composure, Toris cleared his throat and went on. "Then, they assigned me my own editor to handle my work in the best way to meet public expectation as this would help the company to earn more money."

After Toris had filled Feliks in for the five years they had missed each other, Feliks secretly sighed in relief and looked at the ground as he muttered something to himself. "So, it's not like, I wasn't good enough for a big writer…"

"Hm?" It was barely a faint whisper that it was out of Toris' earshot.

Feliks shook his head and clung to Toris' arm. It had already fallen dark outside and it was way passed closing time. Feliks was glad that Toris didn't burst into his bakery a lot earlier or customers would have hit on them.

Feliks then looked up at Toris with a pout. "You totally have to like, make it up to me, cooking me a nice dinner!" It was a very indirect, typical Feliks' way of demanding attention, Toris thought. He totally deserved it after the long separation and Toris was more than happy to do anything for the Pole just to make him happy, even if the five years gap didn't exist.

"Of course I will." He agreed in a low whisper, tenderly looking into the other's eyes as he brought Feliks' hand to his lips and pressed a kiss in his palm. Feliks jumped in surprise, instantly snatching his hand away from Toris and turned to his back, striding toward the main door of the bakery as to hide his embarrassment.  
"Like, you better!" 

Toris only chuckled. He chose not to press on the subject and followed Feliks out of the bakery, switching the lights off on his way.

That evening was similar to the first evening they shared at the same place above the bakery. Feliks enjoyed the view of Toris busying in his kitchen in his pony apron while he followed Toris closely around, didn't want to lose sight of him as if he'd evaporate anytime.

It wasn't until a later time when Toris was doing the washing up after the combined Lithuanian-Polish dinner as a mini celebration, that Feliks suddenly hugged him from behind, asking him not to leave.

"Feliks…?"

"Yes? Liet?"

Toris slowed down the hand that was holding the sponge in the sink, which was filled with washing bubbles. It took him a few good seconds to muster up his courage before he could tell Feliks a brief of the long-term plan that had been forming in his head after he had been forgiven.

"I'm now an independent writer and I'm not bound to the publisher at all. I can write wherever and whenever I like. All I have to do is to meet the deadline and send the editor my manuscript."

Feliks looked up, titling his head in question to observe Toris' expression from the side in silence. He caught a glimpse of hesitation in the Lithuanian's eyes but before he could say anything, Toris continued.

"What I'm thinking…is moving back to this city and buy an apartment that'd be big enough for two people…" Toris felt the heat rise on his cheeks and cursed himself for that. He then averted his eyes to the other side that Feliks wasn't peeking at. "I'm hoping that you'd--"

"You can totally come live with me!" Feliks cut in and his face brightened up before Toris managed to complete his invitation. 

"My room can totally fit another bed or we can like, sharethesamebed…" It was Feliks' turn to flush ten shade of red this time and Toris was now looking down at him with his eyes widened in surprise. 

Feliks stubbornly stared at Toris' back, wearing his characteristic pout and drew a conclusion. "So like, y'know…you don't have to like, get a new apartment…" He trailed off and was so nervous that he had tightened his grip on the pony apron that he lent Toris to wear for cooking and washing as he proposed. 

Oh god, now he felt like digging a hole to hide in. What if Liet didn't like his ponylicious flat…? What if it was too small and pink and girly for him?

He tentatively glanced up at the taller man and he had to fight back the urge to burst into laughter seeing the other smiling down at him like an idiot.

Feliks quickly resumed his confidence once he'd confirmed that Toris didn't feel repulsed by his suggestion. 

He interrupted the Lithuanian again when the other gasped in a lungful of air, ready to speak.

"But like! There's a price to pay living with me!" Feliks finally wrenched himself away from Toris' back and shifted to stand next to him instead.

He held a fist out in front of him, looking down at it and flipped his fingers out as he counted. 

"You totally have to, like, wake up at the same time as me so you can like, savour the world's best Polish breakfast prepared by me! You're also required to stay with me in the bakery and keep me from being tortured by boredom in the afternoon, make me coffee when we take a break 'cause I totally adore the kind you make… have dinner with me in the evening…" 

He then looked upward in contemplation while still holding his fingers out and only started grinning broadly, returning to counting, after he'd made a decision about something. 

"Right. Since I've made you breakfast, you'll have to make me dinner as a fair share! Also! You totally have to like, spend the weekend with me, either at home or outside, I like, don't mind at all. And ---" 

Before Feliks could persist, he already found himself in Toris' tight embrace. 

"Shhhh," He leaned down and placed a kiss on Feliks' forehead.  
"I will stay with you as best as I can, as long as I could. So don't worry."

The reassurance successfully calmed Feliks' babbling. He stayed still and allowed himself to get lost in the familiar scent and warmth in Toris' arms before he tipped on his toe, kissing the other on the lips as a silent acknowledgement to his words.

That night, Toris cancelled his plan of going back to the other city and decided to contact his editor, informing him about his plan of moving back to city he used to live in before becoming a writer in the morning; where he spent the night in this warm, homey flat instead, confessing his long hidden love for the pretty blond who he could finally get, who had admitted that he also shared the same feeling as him in the past five years.


End file.
